


diving into emptiness

by marvellingyou (tourmalinex)



Category: Captain America (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, Flashbacks, Hurt Steve Rogers, M/M, Natasha Romanov Is a Good Bro, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Post-Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Protective Bucky Barnes, Sam Wilson Is a Good Bro, Tony knows about Bucky, Torture
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-28
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-11 23:07:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,054
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29750385
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tourmalinex/pseuds/marvellingyou
Summary: “Is… everything okay?” Sam tucked his knife away and approached Bucky. It was strange. Usually, Bucky didn’t visit Sam unless Steve was with him, not that Bucky refused to go anywhere. He just liked his privacy. “Does Steve know you’re here?”He shook his head, eyebrows furrowed, then held out his fist. When Bucky slowly opened his hand, Sam’s stomach twisted. It was a crumpled piece of fabric, decorated with the red emblem of HYDRA, along with a small USB drive. Sam quickly put two and two together and his shoulders slumped down.“They have him,” Bucky gritted out, anger seeping through his teeth. “They have him.”
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers
Comments: 10
Kudos: 22





	1. an unnerving night

Sam rather liked his new place on the outskirts of D.C. It was a bit smaller than where he used to live, but he figured it wouldn’t be such a bad idea to move after SHIELD fell, for precautionary reasons. And as it turned out, he wasn’t the only one that moved either. Steve clearly couldn’t stay in the same apartment, so he moved as well. Not too close to Sam, but close enough that if they needed to meet outside their morning jog routine, they could. Steve missed this morning’s run, but Sam figured he was busy.

Especially with Bucky.

It didn’t take long for him and Steve to find Bucky. Actually, it seemed like Bucky wanted to be found. After about a month of searching, they caught him leaving a library late at night, with a stack of history books under his arm, checked out with a fake identity. He didn’t bother trying to defend himself, not that Sam or Steve were particularly rough. But Steve being Steve, took Bucky back to his place and they’ve been living together since. The whole time, Sam was, well, not quite skeptical. But cautious. Bucky attacked them before and didn’t even recognize Steve. 

“He knew me, Sam,” Steve had said at the hospital. “And he pulled me out of the river.”

Sam saw the earnestness in Steve’s eyes and as soon as they got Bucky cleaned up, he saw a man in pain. It was all too familiar for Sam. He’d met with veterans who struggled to return to civilian life. Hell, he struggled just to fall asleep and often forgot to eat when he first came back. Knowing that Riley came back home not as himself, but in a box, made it so much harder. Sam carried the guilt to this day and would carry it for the rest of his life. 

But somehow, helping Steve and Bucky reunite made it a little easier. After hearing their story, Sam believed wholeheartedly that out everyone in the universe, Steve and Bucky deserved peace. 

When Sam got out of the shower, he patted himself dry. He wiped at the fogged-up mirror until his reflection was clear. The look he saw in Steve and Bucky’s faces, the sheer exhaustion, was there in the mirror, too. Maybe not in the same way, because Sam didn’t have to experience living in two different centuries, but this century was enough. 

Refreshed and ready to turn in for the night, Sam changed into sweatpants and a t-shirt. But as he turned off the bathroom light and stepped back into his room, he heard some thudding. Sam grabbed a knife from his dresser and flipped it open. He walked out into the hallway, immediately seeing a dark figure in his living room. With guarded steps, Sam inched towards them, trying to get a better view in the dark. But just when he thought he had the element of surprise, the figure rushed over to a wall and flicked the light switch.

“Bucky?”

The brunette hung his head low, as if he had something to be ashamed of.

“... Sam.”

“Is… everything okay?” Sam tucked his knife away and approached Bucky. It was strange. Usually, Bucky didn’t visit Sam unless Steve was with him, not that Bucky refused to go anywhere. He just liked his privacy. “Does Steve know you’re here?”

He shook his head, eyebrows furrowed, then held out his fist. When Bucky slowly opened his hand, Sam’s stomach twisted. It was a crumpled piece of fabric, decorated with the red emblem of HYDRA, along with a small USB drive. Sam quickly put two and two together and his shoulders slumped down.

“They have him,” Bucky gritted out, anger seeping through his teeth. “They  _ have _ him.”


	2. free me from the logic I knew

**_A few months ago..._ **

Bucky didn’t know what to think after pulling Steve out of the river. Everything he was told, that HYDRA’s work was helping the world and that Captain America was trying to destroy their progress was a lie. The only truth was that he knew Steve. Bucky  _ knew _ him. And he had to get down to the bottom of it.

After raiding a HYDRA safehouse, swiping a few fake I.D.s, passports and a fresh change of civilian clothes, Bucky tried gathering as much information as possible. He went to the library and tried reading as much as possible, correcting what little he knew of the world. Among the first round of books that covered the early 1900s was a biography on Captain America himself. 

Steven Grant Rogers was born on July 4, 1918 in Brooklyn to Irish immigrants Joseph and Sarah Rogers. He was a student at Auburndale Art School and showed promise as an artist. 

He joined Project Rebirth and became a symbol to the nation as Captain America, the Sentinel of Liberty. Once he joined the war i n Europe, he rescued his childhood friend, James Buchanan “Bucky” Barnes, and the 107th Infantry Regiment from HYDRA. 

_ “Bucky, you've known me your entire life. Your name is James Buchanan Barnes.” _

Bucky needed to search further, so he found the Captain America Exhibit at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. However, the place caused only more confusion. Alongside Steve’s face was his own, but younger. Less tired. There was still some edge, a darkness in his younger self’s eyes, but perhaps the younger man had a better sense of self. 

_ “Best friends since childhood, Bucky Barnes and Steven Rogers were inseparable on both schoolyard and battlefield. Barnes is the only Howling Commando to give his life in service of his country.” _

He died. But from what he understood, didn’t Steve also give his life in service? He crashed a plane into the water to protect people. Did Bucky die protecting people as well? All he can remember is feeling nothing beneath him and the bitter cold. 

In the end, it didn’t matter. He and Steve, despite dying, were very much alive. Bucky couldn’t decide how much of it was cruelty and how much was a blessing. 

He was confused and alone. 

When Steve and Sam found him leaving the library, relief overtook him. Despite the initial desire to run and hide, there was some joy in seeing Steve. Bucky’s entire identity hinged on a connection with Steve, that much was clear. According to all the so-called experts and the museum exhibits, they had an unbreakable bond. That much was clear in the past, and even now, after being separated, their paths ran parallel until they crossed once again.

“Don’t worry,” Steve said that night. “We’re not going to hurt you.”

Bucky could have laughed at that. How much pain had he endured for the past 70 years?

“We… I just wanted to make sure you were safe.” 

Neither men had weapons on them, from what he could tell. They didn’t even invade his space, leaving enough distance just in case Bucky didn’t want to follow. 

But Bucky always followed the little guy from Brooklyn that never backed down from a fight.

* * *

They lived in relative peace. Bucky had nightmares and days when he was unresponsive, only able to sit up on the couch. But Steve was gentle with him, and Bucky was ever grateful. He thought that maybe he did something good in his past, before the war, to deserve the kindness Steve bestowed upon him. But Steve always reminded him that he didn’t have to do anything special.

“You’re my best friend, Buck. Of course I’d help you.”

Best friend. Bucky wasn’t sure about that phrase. Something tugged at his heart and kept him up at night. Was that all he was to Steve, or was there something more?

HYDRA had done so much to erase Steve from his memories. Captain America was allowed to exist, but Steve was scrubbed out repeatedly. 

_ “The man on the bridge, who was he?” _

_ “You met him earlier this week on another assignment.” _

Lies.

Steve slept soundly on the couch. He insisted that Bucky take his bed. As if Bucky didn’t take enough from him. Meanwhile, Bucky stared at the ceiling, too afraid to sleep.

* * *

“You okay?” Steve asked as he handed Bucky a cup of coffee. 

Bucky shrugged. “... it’s hard to sleep.”

“It was hard for me to sleep too, at first.” He took a sip from his coffee. “After talking to Sam, I got the firmest mattress I could find. Do you want me to find a softer one?”

Unable to take Steve’s consideration anymore, Bucky’s hand balled up into a fist and hit the table. He did his best not to break it, but cracked it anyways. Steve startled slightly at the sudden outburst, but remained calm.

“... stop it,” Bucky said through gritted teeth. “I don’t…”

_ I don’t deserve this. _

“If you really want me to stop, I will.” Steve rubbed the back of his neck, his eyes flicking over towards Bucky. Steve’s fluttering lashes gave Bucky a glimpse of the past, of a young man with more bruises than he could count. “I want you to be comfortable. You’re free to stay here, until you figure out what you want to do. But if I’m just makin’ things worse, you can leave, too.”

Damn Steve Rogers for being too understanding.

“I didn’t say I wanted to leave.” Bucky sighed. “But I don’t deserve all of this, Steve. Why are you doing so much for me?”

“Because you’re—”

“—don’t give me that. I want the truth.”

HYDRA lied for so long. Bucky could accept that. But he couldn’t accept a lie from Steve.

The blonde was at a loss for words, eyes searching Bucky’s for the right words to say. He bit his lower lip as his shoulders sagged.

“It… it’s too much,” he said quietly. “It’s too much to put on you.”

Bucky stood up from the table and slowly stepped towards Steve, making him inhale sharply. “I’ll be the judge of that.”

This was their chance. This was their chance to break down the awkward wall they’ve been dancing around.

“I love you,” Steve admitted. “I’ve loved you for so long, Bucky.”

Oh. So that’s what it was.

But it still didn’t answer Bucky’s question.

“I read the books,” he said carefully. “They said you were in love with Agent Carter.”

Steve chuckled, bitterness soaking through him. “Those books don’t know me very well. After I lost you… I might as well have died with you.”

“I’m not the same man.”

“Neither am I. The guy who crashed the Valkyrie… that man’s dead, and someone else came out.”

_ So he’s lost, too. _

“Then… we can figure it out.” He reached out for Steve’s hand, tentative. The blonde smiled, meeting him halfway. Their fingers laced, palms meeting one another. “Together.”

“Together.” Steve smiled. It was the most genuine smile that Bucky saw in their time together this century.

As the day came to an end, Steve was fixing up the couch for bed. Bucky, however, was having none of it.

“If we’re doing this, you’re sleeping in your own bed.”

“Buck, I can’t let you take the couch.”

Bucky groaned. “Who said I was taking the couch? I’ll be right there next to you.”

Steve’s mouth hung open, but no words came out.

“C’mon, Steve. Stop being a punk and sleep there with me. We’re just gonna sleep.”

He followed behind Steve, to make sure that he actually went to bed. They tried figuring out who liked which side best and the most optimal way to lay down. In the end, they slept with their backs touching, hoping that the other’s presence was enough. But Bucky’s eyes, no matter how much he longed for rest, were wide open.

_ I want you to be comfortable. _

Bucky didn’t turn around, worried that his movement would wake Steve. But something pulled at him, dared him to speak.

“Steve,” he said. “You still awake?” 

He heard a small grunt, then finally, “Yeah.”

“Are you scared, too.” Bucky shifted around, feeling Steve move, too. In the darkness of the room, they barely made out each other’s faces. However, Bucky felt Steve’s eyes searching for his. 

“Yeah, Buck,” Steve whispered. “When I close my eyes, I see them.”

Bucky didn’t need to ask about “them.” He already had an idea. Instead, he brought his hand out of the warmth of the blanket and placed it over Steve’s.

“Let’s see if this helps us.”

It was the first time either of them got a full night’s rest.


	3. please remain calm

It was supposed to be a simple mission, a quick in-and-out. S/teve was supposed to be home already. He said two days. Five days later, and Bucky was nearly tearing his hair out, wondering how he lost contact with Steve when they apparently had top-of-the-line phones. The last he heard, Steve was on his way back home. But soon after that, there was nothing but radio silence. 

Needing to get out of his head, Bucky took a nice, warm shower. Maybe Steve had some loose ends to fix up. Maybe there was paperwork involved and a lot of debriefing. And yet Bucky couldn’t help but feel like something was terribly wrong.

The water washed over him, soaking his bones in much-needed comfort. As he lathered up his hair, Bucky heard a few creaks. When he first came here, he was so wound up and paranoid, worried that somehow, HYDRA found him again. Steve told him the building was old and was prone to settling in place, as old buildings did. And sometimes, it was the pipes. Apparently, they had a neighbor that did their dishes late at night, so they would hear the water rushing through the walls. 

When he was done washing up, Bucky turned off the water, dried off, then changed. He managed to make himself dinner, not that it was delicious. Everything was better with Steve, especially food. Although they had a tv, Bucky didn’t watch much, preferring to read as he found some of the visuals overstimulating. By the time he tried going to bed, he tossed and turned, unable to find a comfortable position to sleep in, not that his racing mind helped matters.

_ Thud. _

Bucky sat up and closed his eyes, trying to concentrate on the sound.

_ Thud thud. _

He slowly got out of bed, being as quiet as possible while reaching for his gun. Bucky didn’t know why Steve didn’t keep any weapons—excluding the shield, which was always under the bed at night—nearby in case of situations like this. Slowly, he pushed the bedroom door open, gun in front of him as he surveyed his surroundings. Stepping into the hallway, Bucky saw that nothing was out of place. He reached for the hallway light and flicked it on. 

Nothing.

Bucky walked further down into the living room, heart pounding in his chest as he searched frantically for anything amiss. 

And then he saw  _ it _ .

A tiny, black bundle of fabric no bigger than his hand was on the kitchen table. He picked it up carefully, feeling something hard inside. As he unwrapped it, Bucky felt all the air leaving his lungs. He wanted so badly to scream. He wanted this to be a nightmare, and when he woke up, Steve would be there to tell him it was going to be okay.

Why did the universe hate Bucky Barnes?

* * *

Bucky paced back and forth in Sam’s living room. Although he trusted Sam’s judgment in calling Natasha and having her come over, Bucky’s nerves were a wreck. If Steve trusted to tell her they lived together, it should have been fine. But after she dumped all of SHIELD and HYDRA’s files online,  _ everyone _ knew who the Winter Soldier was and what they did to him. Sure, he gained supporters that reminded him that he was a prisoner of war that had no control over his actions. And yet, Bucky often heard the voices of those who wanted him to be tried internationally. If it weren’t for all this time he’d spent living with Steve, Bucky would have wanted to turn himself in.

“You wanna sit down?” Sam looked at him, concerned. He already offered a glass of water, a cup of tea. Anything to get him to calm down some—not that Sam didn’t understand the anxiety. After all, Steve was his friend and right now, the worst was running through his head. But they needed some semblance of calm to figure out where they had him. 

“I can’t.”

“Pacing isn’t going to find him faster.”

“I know!” Bucky stood still and took in a deep breath. “I know,” he repeated quietly. “I should’ve told him to stay.” 

“I’ve only known Steve for a few months, but after learning about him in school and finally meeting this, I can safely say that he doesn’t have a self-preservation bone in his body.”

“You got that right.” Bucky’s lips tugged into a wry smile. His memories were mostly hazy, like they happened to someone else. But there were glimpses of a young man fighting others that were thrice his size. “Stubborn as an ox, doesn’t know when to quit.”

“But that’s what you love about him, right?”

Before Bucky could answer, both men heard a knock at the door.

“I’ll get it.” Sam walked over to the front door and peered through the peephole before unlocking the door.

“Long time no see, stranger,” Natasha said warmly. As she stepped in, she took off her bag and rummaged through it, bringing out a laptop. When she and Bucky locked gazes, the sense of familiarity she had with Sam disappeared, though her smile did not falter.

“ _ Zdraztvuytye _ .”

Bucky grunted in response, not knowing what to say. What  _ do _ you say to the person you mercilessly trained?

“Can I see the drive?” She held out her hand, partially to show that she didn’t mean any harm. Bucky’s hands trembled. The USB drive was the only link he had to Steve’s location, but he surrendered it over to Natasha as she sat down on the sofa. “Thank you.”

She opened up her laptop and plugged the drive in. Natasha typed some commands into the terminal, flooding the screen with lines of code and text. Her eyes rapidly read through the information popping up, and the number of windows on the screen gave both Sam and Bucky a bit of hope. However, that tiny sliver of optimism quickly diminished as Natasha sighed. 

“Whatever’s on this is encrypted to hell and back.” She took out the drive and handed it back to Bucky. “I don’t have all the software to get to the files. But I know someone who does.”

Bucky’s chest tightened. He knew exactly who she was talking about and clearly, so did Sam, because he put a hand on Bucky’s shoulder.

“If they try anything, we leave,” he said. “And we’ll figure out another way to get to him.”

“If Tony—”

Hearing his name made Bucky shudder.

“—doesn’t want to cooperate, I have some contacts that could help us.” Natasha shoved her laptop back in her bag and stood up. “Now c’mon. I’ll drive us there.”


	4. all hands on deck

The workshop was filled with Tony’s muttering as he went through file after file. He’d been working on several new projects, despite Pepper’s insistence that he only focus on one at a time to ensure quality. This wouldn’t be the first time he would ignore her advice on his work ethic and it definitely wasn’t going to be the last. Or maybe it would be, depending on how well the projects go. 

“Sir.” 

“What is it JARVIS? You’re kind of ruining my train of thought here.” He signed off on one of the files, an approval for a donation to a local college’s science department.

“Ms. Romanov has arrived with two guests.”

“Oh yeah?” Tony looked up. “Who is it?”

JARVIS pulled up the camera feed from the Tower’s lobby, zooming in on Natasha’s face. Tony saw that there were two men, and their information popped up on JARVIS’ screen. One man he didn’t know. A vet that now worked as a social worker for the V.A. The other man, however, almost makes Tony fall over. He knew that face. He fucking knew it. Tony read all the files Natasha released to the public. He had to, because his family was mentioned. Initially, Tony wasn’t surprised since his father was connected to SHIELD. But what nearly put him in cardiac arrest was how his parents were assassinated by none other than Captain America’s best friend, Bucky Barnes.

Tony considered himself a reasonable guy. He read up on Barnes and saw that he was tortured until he became a nonperson. A weapon. Not to mention that they would cryogenically freeze him on and off for decades, only taking him out when HYDRA needed him to do their dirty work. But at the same time, anger swelled up inside of Tony. On that night, he lost his parents. Logically, he knew it was HYDRA’s fault, because Bucky lost so much as well. But he was still angry. Angry at SHIELD, for not knowing that HYDRA was growing from within. Angry at his father for always prioritizing work to the point where, on business, he was killed. Angry that the one parent he loved, his mother, was taken away from him. 

“Send an elevator to them,” Tony said, sighing. He fiddled a pen, taking a few deep breaths.

“Of course, sir.”

Tony was there to greet them as they exited the elevator. Bucky’s eyes met with his momentarily, only for the supersoldier to quickly look away. Sam must have noticed, because he stepped over, keeping Bucky from Tony’s view. Anyone with a smidgen of awareness could tell that despite his skill set, Bucky was nervous. He shifted his weight from one side to the other, still unable to look at Tony.

_ Goddamn it _ . Tony rubbed the back of his neck. “God, it’s sorta hard to hate the guy when he looks like a kicked puppy,” he muttered. “I’m assuming you guys aren’t here to talk about my interview with Good Morning America?”

“It’s important,” Natasha said evenly. “It’s about Steve.”

“Well, what about him? Did he finally come to his senses and decided to live somewhere a little more upscale?”

Although he couldn’t hear him, Bucky grumbled under his breath. Whatever it was made Sam snicker.

“Would you like to share with the class?” 

Before either Sam or Natasha could say anything, Bucky cleared his throat. “HYDRA took Steve. He was supposed to come home from a mission, but he never came back.”

Tony’s eyes widened. He remembered Steve mentioning  _ something _ , using it as an excuse to not attend a fundraiser he was hosting. As much as Steve was a bit of a sore spot—okay, that was mostly  _ Howard’s _ fault—he cared about him. For all intents and purposes, Steve was their leader, their tactician. Their friend.

“They left this at his apartment.” Natasha flickered her eyes over at Bucky and motioned her head towards Tony. He nodded, then took out the USB drive. “We figured you could help us out. Get the team together. We’re going to need all hands on deck. I already texted Clint and he’s on his way.”

“Go ahead and tell Bruce.” Tony waved for them to follow him as he headed back towards his lab. “Any chance you can get a hold of our favorite god?”

“Not quite sure how to get the message out to him.” 

“A god, huh,” Sam said. “Definitely could use one of those.”

Bucky hummed in agreement. They could use all the help they could get.

When they walked into the workshop, Tony motioned over towards a counter. Among some tools hid a fancy coffee machine, and electric kettle and a box of assorted teas.

“Make yourselves at home. I’m gonna go ahead and work on this.”

Not knowing what to do with himself, Bucky stood back, leaning against a section of a wall that didn’t look important as Sam and Natasha helped themselves to some coffee.

It dawned on Tony that the room was too quiet for his liking. If Steve were there, they’d be bantering already and Steve would comment on how chaotic the room looked, with papers and parts about. 

“So…” he said as Sam and Natasha approached his desk. Tony wiggled his fingers in a  _ gimme _ motion and plugged the USB drive in when Natasha handed it over. “Robocop over there isn’t much for social interaction.”

“He barely knows who he is.” Natasha’s voice held sympathy. She remembered the days she belonged to the Red Room. “They took that away from him. All he knows is Steve.”

Offended, Bucky glared. “I don’t just know Steve. I know HYDRA bases. I know their safehouses.” His mouth twisted. “I can tell you where they are and… maybe Steve will be there.”

“So what?” Tony asked without looking up from his computer, typing away. “You tell us a place just so they can ambush us?”

“Stark—

“Or better yet, kill us yourself?”

He looked over at Bucky. The brunette looked genuinely… guilty? Hurt? How could one of the most feared men known to man look so small?

“I don’t do that anymore,” Bucky said. “And I don’t want to go. They’ll… they’ll say those damn words and turn me against Steve. I… I can’t. Not again.”

Silence filled the room once more. Tony couldn’t think of anything to say to that.

* * *

Within the hour, Clint and Bruce arrived. They settled into the lab, too. At first, they didn’t know what to make of Bucky, noting that he kept his distance. Once Natasha and Clint shared a look—years of knowing each other and what the other felt without words—he relaxed immediately. It was enough for Clint. Bruce, on the other hand, was a bit out of the loop and did his best to catch up on everything that happened while he was away.

“That’s certainly… complicated,” was all he had to say before joining Tony at the computer. Tony’s face was staring intently at the screen,

“You guys, I got something!” 

Everyone gathered behind him, watching as the screen filled with black and white static. 

“Hello, Avengers.” 

The HYDRA symbol flashed across the screen, then the picture cut to a video of a man in a mask, with a white “x” splattered onto his uniform.

“It’s good to see you all together.”

The voice was familiar, but Tony couldn’t place it. “Who the hell is that?”

“Rumlow.” They all turned to Natasha. “That’s definitely him.”

“Should’ve fuckin’ known,” Sam muttered through gritted teeth. They heard that Rumlow survived the building collapse and managed to escape the hospital, but they weren’t expecting this. Sam looked over at Bucky, who trembled where he stood. But not in fear. He was seething in anger, jaw clenched so hard his teeth could have shattered.

“Sources tell us that our Asset had been recovered by a member of your team. Our Asset still has some  _ sensitive _ information. He'll be easy to break in again. But we have no problem starting on him.”

The camera panned over to where Rumlow gestured, displaying Steve, restrained, gagged and blindfolded and suspended on a hook. Blood dribbled through the gag and down his chin. Most of his clothes were removed, with only a cloth tied around his waist. Bruises and cuts decorated his skin, some old and some fresh. A symphony of  _ fuck _ and  _ holy shit _ from the team overwhelmed Bucky as bile built up in the back of his throat.

“You have a week to surrender the Asset in exchange for Captain America. Otherwise, you'll be greeted by the new fist of HYDRA.”

The screen cut to black and the video ended. The team murmured amongst each other—well, except for Sam and Tony, who were enraged and ended up in a shouting match over what to do. 

“Go back.” 

“What,” Sam asked.

“Go back,” Bucky said with conviction. “Rewind the footage. Please.”

Without being prompted further, JARVIS went back to the beginning of the video. It played normally, up until Steve was shown.

“JARVIS?”  _ God, it was so weird to be able to talk to a computer. _ “Could you slow down the video from here?”

“Of course, Sergeant.”

Bucky inhaled sharply. It had been far too long since he heard someone call him by his rank. He watched closely as JARVIS replayed the clip. Sure enough, he noticed Steve tapping his fingers against his palms in a set rhythm.

“Steve’s spelling something,” Sam said, noticing this, too. “P - R - O - T - E - C - T- B- U - C - K.”

“That stubborn asshole,” Tony sighed. “Of course he doesn’t want to make the trade.”

“Maybe we should.” Everyone looked at Bucky. “Steve didn’t need this.”

“Oh, no you don’t.” Sam lightly shoved Bucky’s shoulder. “He went through hell to get you to recognize him. He looked for you and wanted to keep you safe. We’re not doing a trade. We’re getting him back.”

“But why are they giving us a week?” Bruce crossed his arms over his chest. “If they knew where you were, why didn’t they just take you?”

“They’re giving us a week because they want to torture him,” Bucky said quietly. “And maybe, if they get me back, they’d have two Assets.”

“All the more reason to keep you safe.” Tony pinched the bridge of his nose. “JARVIS, reinforce our security protocol and re-run thorough background checks on everyone who’s been in and out of this building.

“Yes, sir.”

“How far do you think they’ve gone?” This was the first time Tony had looked Bucky in the eye all night.

Bucky swallowed thickly. “Hard to say. But if they wanted to do a trade, they wouldn’t have left the Tri-State Area. At most, they might have him somewhere along the Canadian border.” “You hear that, JARVIS? Pull up a map of the Tri-State Area.” Tony patted himself, checking his pockets until he pulled out a laser-pointer pen with a small  _ a-ha! _ He nodded at Bucky before gently tossing the pen his way. “Show us those safe houses.”

Bucky nodded. They were going to get Steve back if it was the last thing he did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Clearly I lost the bet and now I must draw catboy maid Steve. If you guys want to see the maid!Steves I've already drawn, they're pinned to my profile on twitter.
> 
> Fun fact, Bucky tells Sam that Steve would never want to live in a tacky place, and that's what made Sam laugh. Also yeah, Clint didn't have a single line, but will have more in later chapters. ALSO can I just rant about something? If you know me/talk to me, you'll know that I think Civil War was a bunch of bullshit. How did Tony not already know about his parents' assassination if Natasha dumped EVERYTHING to the public? If the files that were there had everything to do with HYDRA, wouldn't their plans, past and present show up? So anyways, that's why Tony knows about it and he has mixed feelings. If you don't like this take, sorry not sorry.
> 
> The next chapter is going to be through Steve's POV! Yay, we're getting into the actual torture bits! But really if you don't want to read that, you can pretty much skip it. More details on that when I read through it and get it posted!
> 
> If you want a break from this, please feel free to check out my other fics which are either angsty or fluffy there is literally no in-between and I apologize.
> 
> You can say hi to me on [twitter](https://twitter.com/queerestblues) or [tumblr](http://marvelling-you.tumblr.com/) (tho I'm on twitter more these days). Be good out there! Stay safe! I love you!

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! I've been working on this fic for a hot minute. Basically, Steve's going to be tortured. Bucky, Sam, Natasha and the rest of the Avengers (sans Thor) are in a race against the clock to get him. This should be updated/completed fairly quickly. 
> 
> It should be noted that while I've had this in my wips for a little over a year, I recently made a bet with moonythejedi to finish this by Feb. 28 at 12am PST. Am I doing this totally last minute? Yes. Yes I am.
> 
> So here we go folks! Strap in for some feels!


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